James Lees-Milne, 18 de Outubro de 1973

Wishing to buy another odd pair of trousers I went to what used to be called The Trouser Shop next to the Café Royal in Regent Street. The entrance looked different. A young man dressed in velvet, although in the middle of the day, approached me. Hesitantly I asked if the establishment stiull sold trousers. His greeting was 'Hullo!' which took me aback. I replied 'Hullo!'. The asked if he had any trousers that would suit me. With bland surprise he said regretfully, 'We can only cater for clients with a waist of less then 36', and gave me a snide look. 'Besides, all our legs are much flared'. Oh dear, I found myself apologising for being so old and untrendy. But on reflection, why the hell should a man apologise for no longer being young, as though he was thereby an inferior being?